What Cardale Jones' Benching Means for QB's NFL Draft Stock

COLUMBUS, Ohio — When Urban Meyer announced on Tuesday that he was promoting J.T. Barrett to the Ohio State starting lineup, he did so in hopes of providing the Buckeyes with a sense of stability that had been missing from their quarterback position through the first seven weeks of the 2015 season.

But for the signal-caller Barrett will be replacing, the future has never been more uncertain than it is now.

And after quickly processing what Barrett's return as Ohio State's starter would mean for the Buckeyes moving forward, Meyer's move left many contemplating the same thought: What's next for Cardale Jones?

In what marks just the latest chapter in Jones' already bizarre college career, the redshirt junior quarterback now finds himself returning to the same bench that he occupied for the better part of the previous three seasons. That, of course, was before Barrett's broken ankle in last year's regular-season finale opened the door for Jones to start in three postseason games, with the 6'5", 250-pounder leading the Buckeyes to the first-ever College Football Playoff championship.

Jones played so well, in fact, that despite having just three starts to his credit, it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he would be entering the 2015 NFL draft.

"He would have easily been the third QB drafted," Bleacher Report NFL Draft Lead Analyst Matt Miller said of Jones' prospects in a draft that ultimately saw quarterbacks Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota selected first and second overall, and no other quarterback picked until the third round.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Only Jones never entered that draft, opting rather to return to Ohio State for one last season, in hopes of both obtaining his degree and improving his draft stock. As of the summer, the Cleveland, Ohio, native was still on track to accomplish the former at the end of Ohio State's fall semester in December.

With Tuesday's development, the latter now finds itself more in flux.

After all, save for the New England Patriots selecting Matt Cassel in the seventh round of the 2005 draft, it's hard to find examples of teams picking players who were backup quarterbacks during the final seasons of their college careers. The draft picks and roster spots in the NFL are just too valuable to be used on players who weren't perceived as good enough to be starting on their own college teams.

Given the circumstances surrounding his recent benching, Jones, however, could qualify as the exception. 

While it's Jones' big arm and size that NFL scouts were drooling over last winter, the strong-armed signal-caller has never seemed like a perfect fit in Meyer's spread offense. It was telling that in explaining Barrett's increased playing time in recent weeks, Meyer often cited his mobility, which is shiftier than Jones' power running style.

Ten months ago, that didn't seem like an issue when the Buckeyes were beating Wisconsin, Alabama and Wisconsin en route to winning the national title. But with more film of Jones on tape, opponents have had more to study and, consequently, plan for.

"He looks really disjointed. I think that's the best word for it. I don't think he's a good fit in that offense," Miller said. "Last year it was so simple—throw it deep to Devin Smith—and he was allowed to 'just play.' Now teams are game-planning for him, and he's asked to do more in the offense."

That's resulted in a seven-game stat line that's included 1,242 passing yards, seven touchdowns, five interceptions and a 62.4 percent completion percentage while having connected on just three passes of 40 or more yards. But not all of Jones' struggles can be attributed to his fit in Meyer's spread system, as Miller admitted that the player he once projected to be the No. 3 pick in the 2016 draft no longer looks worthy of a first-round selection.

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"His decision-making hasn't been fast enough or accurate enough," Miller said. "I had moved him out of my Top 100 prior to the benching, so I think that's a starting point...he won't get back to [the first round] on my board."

The good news for Jones is that even if he doesn't play another snap for Ohio State this season, he still has plenty of opportunities remaining to re-prove himself to NFL front offices. Assuming he gradates in December as planned, Jones would be eligible to participate in the Senior Bowl, where he'd undoubtedly receive an invitation as a big-name prospect.

That could be Jones' best opportunity to show off his skills in a game setting, in advance of the predraft combine and workout circuit.

"That's a must in my opinion," Miller said of the Senior Bowl. "He has to get on a stage to show his talent."

Miller went on to point out that former Florida State quarterback E.J. Manuel parlayed a strong Senior Bowl showing into a first-round selection in 2013, despite having entered the draft process as a projected third-round pick. That's the type of uphill climb Jones could now find himself facing—a far cry from the #FailForCardale social media campaign NFL fans started earlier this season when Jones still looked more the part of franchise savior than college clipboard holder.

"If he interviewed well, I think he's still drafted," Miller said. "But he's a project based on potential, and not being able to show that potential makes him a Day 3 [rounds 4-7] guy."

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Six months still stand between Jones and the NFL draft, and as we saw at the end of last season, plenty can change between now and then. In the meantime, Jones can still improve—or further worsen—his draft stock based on how he handles his recent benching, which will be especially important for a player who's had issues with immaturity in the past.

"You always want to see a prospect in an uncomfortable situation," Miller said.

Certainly, this would qualify as such. It's not the first, and it likely won't be the last that Jones finds himself in, given all that he's already been through in his college career.

But while he'll now find himself standing on the Ohio State sideline for the foreseeable future, don't expect to have heard the last of Jones.

That much—if nothing else right now for him—is certain. 

Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.